A SAFARI/JOURNEY THROUGH THE USA - A DIARY - 4 - Fort Wayne, IN

We went from Cleveland to Fort Wayne, IN, on Friday afternoon, where Prof. Douglas & Debora Rutt hosted us. Prof. Rutt has been in Brazil several times. They invited for dinner Prof. David Colles, who was professor at the Seminar in São Paulo, SP; and Rev. Isaiah Obare, son of Bishop Obare, who is doing his Master Degree in Theology at the Fort Wayne Concordia Seminar. (In the picture: Lidia, Carlos, Colles, Isaiah, Debora, Douglas). It was a very good evening!

On Saturday, I was not feeling well. Douglas took my blood pressure and it was very high. He took me to the hospital. Read the report I sent to LCMS-WM:
" Last Sunday (19.Oct), I felt a pain in my left leg. I began to take some medicament that my orthopedist in Brazil gave to me to take in case of pain. And that medicament had a bad effect upon my blood pressure. But I felt it only yesterday morning (25 Oct). My blood pressure was 203/ 98. They thoughtt it was a stroke, because my left leg (more on the feet) was numb and tingling. So also my tongue and around the mouth was tingling. I had a MRI of the brain with and without contrast, and they found "nothing in my brain" … But 'the lumbar spine MRI was most significant for an L4-L5 disk herniation causing L5 nerve root compression'. Electrocardiogram was normal and so were the other tests. I was admitted to the hospital yesterday morning, and came back to Dr.Rutt's home this afternoon (Oct 26th). The blood pressure is now normal and I have some medicament to take because of my spine and my left leg.

I was not able to go to Clear Lake Luth. Church this morning, as it was scheduled; but I send a DVD with my presentation through Bill and Kathy Schumann, who came to visit with me at the hospital; and they showed it at the Bible Class. I will not go to the Pastoral Conference in Indianapolis tomorrow to Wednesday, but I will rest at Dr.Rutt's home. The Doctor allows us to go to Springfield, MO, on Thursday. "

My blood pressure is normalized, but my left leg is still a little numb. I cannot carry any weight so our friends are helping with the luggage and the boxes with the brochures and post cards. God be thanks that I’m feeling better day after day. Lidia is fine and is helping me in everything.

While I was in hospital, Lidia went with Prof. Rutt to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne. It was established in 1837—two years before the immigration of Walther and the Perry County folks.

– On Wednesday, (Oct. 29th) we visited Concordia Theological Seminar in Fort Wayne: The nice chapel, and

Luther statue.

We visited with Pres. Dean Wenthe as well.

In the evening we were invited to a dinner at Dr. Christopher C. Barnekov’s home. Bishop Walter Obare, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya, was visiting the USA, and Dr. Barnekov offered a special dinner to some friends in honor of the Bishop.

Pastor Carlos, Bishop Obare, Dr. Barnekov and Rev.Isaiah (Bishop’s son).

– In front of his house, flags of the USA, Sweden, Finland and of Kenya.

– The day after (Oct 30th) Bishop visited a class at the Seminar, invited by Prof. Detlev Schulz, and answered questions. - The same day, in the afternoon, we took the plane to Springfield, MO.